Spool



Nov. 29, 1938. D. A. SPRIGINGS 2,138,074 SPOOL Filed Aug. 6, 1938INVENTOR Jar/id J' arz' i 7 46' Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATESPATENT @FFICE SPOOL Application August 6,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in metal spools or reels of thecharacter usually employed for holding wire and particularly insulatedwire of the kind used for electrical pur- 5 poses.

The object of the invention is to provide an extremely strong and sturdyspool having its elements so designed and connected that the same may bespeedily assembled at reduced manufacl turing cost, and the resultantproduct will not only be satisfactory in appearance, but of veryexcellent construction.

At the present time, metal spools of the kind to which this inventionrelates, are usually prol vided with a cylindrical hub or core formedwith a plurality of projecting tongues on each of its opposite ends,these tongues being received in complementary slots formed in the sheetmetal end discs or heads of the spool and bent over on the outside ofthe heads. Spools of such known construction require time and skill toassemble, since the tongues on the core must not only be aligned withthe slots in the heads in order to permit the tongues to pass throughthe slots, but in the finishedproduct, the projecting tongues detractfrom the appearance of the spool and if not properly and uniformly bentover, a defective spool results.

The primary object therefore, of this invention, is to avoid the use ofprojecting tongues or other similar elements for uniting the spoolmembers; to greatly strengthen the resultant spool; and to also greatlyfacilitate the assembly of the spool elements.

In my co-pending application, Ser. No. 185,807 filed January th, 1938,now Patent No. 2,126,053 of August 9, 1938, I have shown a spool whereinthe ends of the core or hub each fit into an annular groove formed ineach of the discshaped heads or ends of the spool. In that structure,the ends of the core are curled outwardly within the groove and overliestamped, inwardly-projecting tongues or lugs that project into thegroove. According to the present invention, the ends of the tubular coreare curled inwardly and extend over outwardly projecting lugs wherebythe lugs disposed within the groove are enclosed by the ends of the coreand a very smooth joint between the core and the ends of the spoolresults.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, Fig. l is a side viewof a portion of a spool, the greater portion of the same being shown insection to disclose construction; Fig. 2 is a. sectional view throughone of the heads or 1938, Serial No. 223,469

ends near the center thereof showing how one end of the cylindrical coreis inserted in an annular groove preparatory to curling or bending itlaterally or inwardly at its ends to lock it in the groove; Fig. 3 is aview similar to Fig. 2 showing how the end of the core is bent inwardlyto engage behind the lugs formed on one of the spool ends; and Fig. 4 isa sectional view in perspective of a part of the spool showing how oneend of the hub or core is attached to one of the heads or disc-shapedends of the spool.

In the drawing, I indicates the central core or hub section of thespool, the same being of cylindrical form, and preferably produced fromrolled sheet metal, the meeting ends of which are secured together by alock seam or any other known method of joinder.' Secured to the oppositeends of the core I are tne heads 2. Said heads are preferably disc-likesections of sheet metal, each of which has its peripheral edge rolled orcurled to form the re-enforcing or stiffening bead 3. Each of the discs2 is formed with an annular pressed-out rib or bead 4 which surrounds acentral hole l5 enclosed by an in turned flange portion 6. The hole l5provides an opening for a spindle or other support for the spool.

The wall of the bead 4 is formed with a plurality of spaced lugs ortongues 5 which are cut out of the inner wall portion of the bead, thusforming the openings 9, said lugs being directed outwardly or radially,with their free ends 8 extending in a direction toward the periphery ofthe disc-shaped end or head in which they are formed, and their basesdirected toward the center of the spool.

The lugs 5 so formed are inclined or slightly bent upwardly and havetheir free ends projecting into the concave side of the bead, or inother words, in the annular groove or recess formed in the inner face ofthe disc by the production of the bead 4.

The manner in which the hub or core portion l is secured to the discs 2will be clear from Figs. 1 and 4. I The discs 2 are first fitted on theends of the hub or core I with the ends ll] of the hub or core extendinginto the groove formed by the bead 4 between the outer face portions ofthe groove and the tongues or lugs 5. The parts are now forced towardone another by suitable tools or dies so that the hub portion is movedin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 relative to the discs, oralternatively, the two discs may be moved toward one another with thehub or core between them. As the end ll) of hub member I is moved, itwill follow the outer curved face of the concave recess formed by thebead 4 and said end will be thus rolled or curled laterally or inwardy,as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to cause it to engage behind the outwardlyprojecting lugs 5.

By the arrangement described, each end of the core or hub member I isfirmly locked in position within the bead 4 by being confined betweenthe face of the recess and the outwardly projecting inclined lugs 5.Itwill be observed that with the arrangement shown, wherein the freeends of the lugs or tongues 5 extend outwardly or toward the peripheryof the disc, and the end flange of the core-or hub member I curls overthese lugs, the lugs are thus confined within the hub or core I and noportion of the lugs projects, or is likely to project, within the spooland particularly within that portion of the spool used for confining therolled wire.

With the structure described, a strong, sturdy, rigid arrangement isprovided and speedy assembly of spools of this character is secured,since the assembly of the same requires merely the imposition ofpressure sufficient to curl the ends of the core or hub inwardly to lockthem in place, as indicated at 1 in the'drawing.

What I claim is:

1. A metal spool or reel having a cylindrical core or hub portionanddisc-shaped ends, each of said ends having a channel-like recess in itsinner face into which an end of the core extends, lugs I forced out ofthe body of the disc-shaped end and projecting into said recess, thefree ends of said lugs being directed toward the periphery of thedisc-shaped end in which said lugs are formed, the end ofthe coreextending into the recess being confined thereby on the inner face ofthe discshaped end and being laterally curled to conform to the innersurface of the recess and confined between the face of the recess andthe lugs, the direction of curl of the end of the core bein continuoustoward the center of the core.

2. A metal spool or reel provided with a cylindrical core portion,disc-shaped end members secured to the ends of the core portion, each ofthe disc-shaped ends having a groove in its inner face near its center,an end of the core entering said groove and confined thereby on theinner face of the disc-shaped end member, said core having its endcurled inwardly continuously in a direction toward the center of thecore, lugs on the disc having their ends directed toward the peripheryof the disc-shaped member and their bases disposed toward the center ofsaid member, said lugs entering the groove and confining the inwardlycurled end of the core between them and the face of the groove.

3. A metal spool or reel having a cylindrical core portion anddisc-shaped ends attached to said core, each of said disc-shaped endsbeing recessed to receive an end of the core, spaced lugs forced out ofthe body of the disc-shaped end and projecting into the recess, saidlugs having their bases directed toward the center of the disc- DAVID A.SPRIGINGS.

